Fighting Climate Change

Hydropower helps the nation avoid almost 200 million metric tons of CO2 each year

As America’s largest source of renewable and carbon-free energy, hydropower helps the nation avoid approximately 200 million metric tons of CO2 each year – the equivalent of over 42 million passenger cars. Communities throughout the country that rely on hydropower as a primary energy source reap the benefits of cleaner air and water.

Hydropower is a unique solution to the nation's energy and environmental challenges. Facilities can quickly go from zero power to maximum output, making them exceptionally good at meeting rapidly changing demands for electricity throughout the day. And what’s more: it is clean. Requiring nothing more than the flow of water, hydropower does not produce air pollution or toxic byproducts.

And because hydropower often serves as essential base load power, the alternative to hydropower is not another renewable, such as wind and solar — but rather an emissions generating facility. Yet, expanding use of this clean energy solution is hindered by outdated regulatory and permitting barriers.

Rather than being satisfied with maintaining the status quo, stakeholders at all levels should be engaged to find solutions. It is simply unacceptable for approvals of hydropower projects to take 10 years, when a fossil fuel plant can be approved in two.